Global Burden of Elevated LDL-C: Findings From the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023.

Elevated LDL-C accounted for 3.6 million deaths and 90.7 million DALYs in 2023, with age-standardized death and DALY rates down 45.6% and 39.5% since 1990.

• Why it matters: LDL-C is a modifiable cardiovascular risk, but the global and country-level burden from 1990–2023—and how demographics and exposure changes shape trends—needs updated quantification to guide prevention and treatment.
• What they did: Using Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 methods, mean LDL-C exposure was modeled from 806 studies in 161 countries, and relative risks came from meta-analyses of 38 randomized clinical trials; attributable deaths and DALYs were estimated for adults 25+ by age and sex from 1990–2023.
• The result: In 2023, age-standardized LDL-C-attributable DALY rates were highest in Eastern Europe and lowest in high-income Asia-Pacific, with one-third of the global burden in India and China; population growth and aging drove increases while rates shifted toward middle-sociodemographic settings.

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